An automated apparatus for conditioning proboscis extension in honey bees, Apis mellifera L.

An apparatus is described for the study of classical conditioning of proboscis extension in harnessed honey bees, Apis mellifera L., that permits automatic programming of events and recording of data. The apparatus is easy to use, accommodates a wide range of stimuli and can be used to study both associative and nonassociative learning. The technique was evaluated in a series of experiments in which the performance of bees was compared under automated and traditional methods of conditioning. The results indicated that the automated apparatus can successfully be used to study Pavlovian conditioning, discrimination learning, and habituation. A unique finding was that the odor of honeycomb can serve as an unconditioned stimulus to support Pavlovian conditioning.